Definition of reticulate
1 : resembling a net or network; especially : having veins, fibers, or lines crossing a reticulate leaf
2 : being or involving evolutionary change dependent on genetic recombination involving diverse interbreeding populations
reticulately
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Did You Know?
Though "reticulate" is used in many contexts, it finds particular use in the field of biology. "Reticulate" comes from the Latin word reticulum, meaning "small net." It first appeared in English in the mid-1600s and was used in connection with the study of plants even back then. Scientists use "reticulate" to describe a net-like formation of veins, fibers, or lines that crosses something. For example, a leaf with a pattern of veins that resembles a net would be called a "reticulate leaf."
Origin and Etymology of reticulate
Latin reticulatus, from reticulum
Definition of reticulate
reticulated
;reticulating
transitive verb
: to divide, mark, or construct so as to form a network municipalities that reticulate electricity to consumers
intransitive verb
: to become reticulated
Recent Examples of reticulate from the Web
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Two of Africa's multiple giraffe populations, the Nubian and reticulated, were already in serious decline when drought and turmoil struck East Africa.
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The two species in the direst straits are the northern and reticulated giraffe species.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'reticulate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of reticulate
back-formation from reticulated, adjective, reticulate
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